Data Storage Device and Method for Storing Selected Data in Relatively-Lower Data Retention Pages of a Quad-Level Cell Memory

1. A data storage device comprising: a quad level cell (QLC) memory comprising a lower page (LP), a middle page (MP), an upper page (UP), and a top page (TP); and one or more processors, individually or in combination, configured to: determine data reliability of each of the pages; write data for an internal data storage device operation in a first set of pages whose data retention is below a threshold; and write host data in a second set of pages whose data retention is above the threshold.

2. The data storage device of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors, individually or in combination, are further configured to: write dummy data in the first set of pages to provide wider voltage threshold windows for the second set of pages.

3. The data storage device of claim 1, wherein the internal data storage device operation comprises a static relocation.

4. The data storage device of claim 1, wherein the internal data storage device operation comprises a folding operation.

5. The data storage device of claim 1, wherein the internal data storage device operation comprises a generating a secondary copy of data.

6. The data storage device of claim 1, wherein the data comprises firmware control data.

7. The data storage device of claim 1, wherein the data comprises flash translation layer relocation data.

8. The data storage device of claim 1, wherein the data comprises single-level cell (SLC) folding data.

9. The data storage device of claim 1, wherein the quad-level cell memory comprises a three-dimensional memory.

10. In a data storage device, a method comprising: determining if an entry in a priority queue has been halted due to ongoing data operations, wherein the entry is for a priority internal data storage device operation; and in response to determining that the entry has been halted: writing data for the priority internal data storage device operation in page(s) of a quad level cell (QLC) memory whose data retention is above a threshold; and writing host data in other page(s) of the QLC.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the data for the priority internal data storage device operation and the host data are written in parallel.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the priority internal data storage device operation comprises a static relocation.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the priority internal data storage device operation comprises a folding operation.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the priority internal data storage device operation comprises generating a secondary copy of data.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the data comprises firmware control data.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the data comprises flash translation layer relocation data.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the data comprises single-level cell (SLC) folding data.

18. The method of claim 10, further comprising selecting a block from a block list and allocating the block to the priority internal data storage device operation.

19. The method of claim 10, wherein the plurality of pages comprises of a lower page (LP), a middle page (MP), an upper page (UP), and a top page (TP).

20. A data storage device comprising: a memory comprising a multi-level cell memory comprising a plurality of pages; means for determining data reliability of each of the pages; means for writing data for an internal data storage device operation in pages whose data retention is below a threshold; and means for writing host data in pages whose data retention is above the threshold.